Husband thought SC lottery ticket was worth $12 — then he and wife took closer look
A man thought his lottery ticket wasn’t worth much — but he had a bigger prize in store.
“At first I thought I only won $12,” the man told the S.C. Education Lottery in a March 10 news release.
But then he showed the lucky ticket to his wife, and the two figured out he’d won $50,000.
“I went on to work as usual,” he said, not knowing at the time that he made another mistake.
It turns out, the husband paid an extra dollar to add Power Play to the Powerball ticket, making it worth twice as much. Officials said he scored the $100,000 prize after stopping at Pamplico Junction, in the Florence area and roughly 50 miles northwest of Myrtle Beach.
While at the store, officials said the man tried his luck on a $3 ticket for the Powerball game. The ticket he bought for the Feb. 13 drawing missed the larger jackpot prize by one number.
Still, the ticket beat 1-in-913,129 odds to score a big win. The couple discovered their actual prize while cashing in their ticket, according to the S.C. Education Lottery.
The husband and wife, who weren’t identified in the news release, are still deciding what to do with the prize money. They kept $69,500 after taxes, lottery spokesperson Holli Armstrong told McClatchy News in an email.
It’s not the first time a South Carolina lottery player has taken a closer look at a winning ticket and discovered a bigger win. In 2021, officials said a man thought his ticket was worth $3 before a second glance confirmed he won even more.
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Gambling is designed to be a source of entertainment.
If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.
This story was originally published March 10, 2023 at 2:17 PM with the headline "Husband thought SC lottery ticket was worth $12 — then he and wife took closer look."
